Railbed committee outlines two-year study and community outreach on proposed Craig Valley trail

At the May 2 meeting the Railroad Bed Committee presented a detailed two-year account of its work evaluating a proposed Craig Valley rail trail, telling the Board the group has focused on maximizing community benefit whether or not the full 26-mile trail is ultimately built.

Committee member Woody Lipps said the group expanded its membership, held 16 meetings (including sessions with neighboring Botetourt County and VDOT representatives), cleared about 3.5 miles of railbed used by residents, removed tires and debris from public lands, and obtained grant funding for greenway work. Lipps said the committee made site visits to established trails, consulted managers of the Jackson River Scenic Trail and the Virginia Creeper Trail, and participated in webinars to understand maintenance practice and cost estimation.

"When the Board established our committee back in the summer of 2022, you didn't ask us to go build a trail, but you didn't instruct us to fight the trail proposal either," Lipps said. He described surveying public comments, meeting with VDOT engineers and county public-safety officials, and studying visitation and maintenance costs to assess whether the project could yield local economic and recreational benefits. He also read and rebutted a social-media comment that suggested Craig County lacked the community commitment that supported the Virginia Creeper Trailnoting the Creeper faced early opposition before becoming a regional asset.

Lipps said the committee coordinated with the Sheriff's office, EMS director and fire chief to anticipate public-safety and emergency-service impacts and worked with Soil and Water Conservation and VDOT on erosion concerns at specific locations. He thanked board members for public investments such as the recent Farmers Market grand opening and emphasized the committee's aim to capture maximum local benefit even if the full trail is never completed.

No formal action or motion followed the briefing; the committee's update was received for the record and the board did not vote on a trail-specific resolution at this meeting.